A LEVEL GEOGRAPHY COASTS

WAVE CREST This is the top of the wave as water in a wave rises causes crest WAVE TROUGH As water in a wave falls WAVE HEIGHT Distance between the wave crest and trough WAVE PERIOD Time between waves WAVE FREQUENCY Number of waves that break on a beach in a given period of time WAVE STEEPNESS WAVE HEIGHT/WAVE LENGTH cannot exceed 1:7(this is the point at which the wave breaks) WAVE ENERGY In deep water the energy of a wave is proportional to the wave length X by the wave height(squared).This means that even small increase in wave length can produce a large increase in wave energy. WAVE ENERGY IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO WAVE HEIGHT THE ENERGY OF IS RELEASED WHEN IT BREAKS SWASH The body of foaming water that rushes up the beach when the wave breaks.It obtains its energy from the energy released by the breaking wave BACKWASH The water which returns down the beach after a wave has broken ABANDON THE LINE The strategic withdrawal of human occupation in areas of high risk.Use of less expensive and sustainable methods to "abandon the line" of the coast. often unpopular with farmers and property owners i.e. national trust policy Studland bay